Siege of Shimla
The Siege of Shimla was one of the major battles of the First Indian War of Independence, fought in mid-1857. Bolstered by mutinous Sepoys and a Portuguese Expeditionary Army, Nanib Sahir besieged the British East India Company fort of Shimla in northern India in the Province of Himachal Pradesh. The Indians starved the garrison and destroyed the command post, killing Colonel George Edwardson. Background In May 1857, the Indian Sepoys liberated Delhi from the British garrison, freeing Bahadur Shah II from captivity in the Agra Fort and installing him as the "Supreme Ruler of All India". The Indians ambushed many British patrols, proving that they could defeat a regiment, but not yet a full army. Led by Nanib Sahir, they were guided to several triumphs over their white masters, and hoping to weaken the company, they besieged the major saltpeter trading post of Shimla. The city was defended by George Edwardson and a large British East India Company garrison, with two fixed guns and many barracks defending the command post. Edwardson warned Sahir after Nanib gave an inspiring speech to his men, but Nanib guaranteed him that no reinforcements would come and that it was a struggle between only the two of them. Siege Nanib established a base camp south of Shimla, and built a consulate, allying with the Kingdom of Portugal and gaining access to Portuguese units. As he marched on the saltpeter posts with his army, intent on destroying them, he was joined by the arsonists who had resisted Britain since the start and whom were relieved to see that they had finally seen the truth about the East India Company. They burnt down the saltpeter trading posts, weakening the Company's trade income, and they also torched the mills that supplied the fort. The struggle up the road was ferocious, with a seemingly endless amount of British Hussars charging the Indian Sepoys and Gurkhas. The combat raged for tens of minutes, as repeated assaults by both sides led to heated battle. While this occurred on the Indian left flank, Edwardson sent troops to attack the Indian base on the left by fording the river every two minutes. The Portuguese Expeditionary Army proved able in defending the Indian base, and the British attacks were thrown off three times. Before a fourth wave could be mustered, the Portuguese destroyed the base along the river to hamper any chances. When the British took a break on the Indian left, the Indians found their window and wrecked the British stables and barracks. Within twenty minutes of the siege, the British forces outside of the fort had been eradicated. Edwardson's troops starved behind the safety of their walls, but entrenched, preparing for Nanib's final assault. Sahir mixed his Sepoys and Gurkha infantry with his Sowar cavalry and the Portuguese cannon supplied through the consulate. The Indo-Portuguese Army bombarded the fort's walls and captured the two fixed guns on either side of the command post that centered the fort's defenses. Edwardson was shot in the chest and mortally wounded, and could not help but watch as his command post was razed. The Indians won a major victory, taking over Himachal Pradesh. Aftermath Although the Indians had won their greatest victory of the war, they had yet to find out what would happen if they fought a prolonged struggle. The Indians had just begun a long and bloody war, and exactly a year later in June 1858 the rebellion was crushed as the Indian Empire was proclaimed. Category:Sieges Category:Battles